kowtow

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The Word of the Day for June 21 is:

kowtow   \KOW-tow ("ow" as in "cow" in both syllables)\   verb
    *1 : to show obsequious deference : fawn
     2 : to kneel and touch the forehead to the ground in token of homage, 
worship, or deep respect

Example sentence:
     Martin kowtows to our boss every chance he gets, complimenting him on his 
suits and offering favors.

Did you know?
     "Kowtow" originated as a noun referring to the act of kneeling and 
touching one's head to the ground as a salute or act of worship to a revered 
authority. In traditional China this ritual was performed by commoners making 
requests to the local magistrate, by the emperor to the shrine of Confucius, or 
by foreign representatives appearing before the emperor to establish trade 
relations. (In the late 18th century, some Western nations resisted performing 
the ritual, which acknowledged the Chinese emperor as the "son of heaven.") The 
word "kowtow" derives from Chinese "koutou," formed by combining the verb "kou" 
("to knock") with the noun "tou" ("head"). The noun had arrived in English by 
1804, and the earliest evidence for the verb dates from 1826.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.